


Brave Enough For Love

by LicieOIC



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Prostitution, Angst, Cursed Storybrooke, Escort Service, F/M, Golden Lace
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-26
Updated: 2015-05-26
Packaged: 2018-04-01 10:33:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4016443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LicieOIC/pseuds/LicieOIC
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cursed Storybrooke AU where Lacey is a high class escort and Mr Gold is her client.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brave Enough For Love

**Author's Note:**

> Really surprised that this one didn't have a ton of sex in it, given the subject matter, but I wanted to focus on the nature of their relationship rather than that. Maybe sometime I'll revise this one to include all the sex, hehe. 
> 
> Inspired by the painting I did, below. Hope you enjoy!

She said her name was Lacey, but he knew it was fake. Just like she knew he wouldn’t tell her his first name, he was only ‘Mr Gold’ to her. They had an arrangement. Once a week, money would be transferred into her madam’s account, she would take her cut and send the rest to Lacey’s account. Then Lacey was his for a full twenty-four hours. Every week.

He wasn’t the oldest client she’d ever had, but he was probably the wealthiest. Had to be, to afford her for such a long period of time every week. She knew he was lonely, that read like a neon sign on his forehead, and she asked him sometimes why he didn’t get himself a real girlfriend, rather than pay for ‘the girlfriend experience’ with her. He’d only shrug or sigh and say he was “a difficult man to love.” Something about that statement struck her to the bone, but she didn’t want to examine it to closely.

She didn’t think it was true, at least not to the extent he did. True, he could be ruthless in his dealings, but as far as she knew, he always kept to the letter of the agreement. In their private time together, she saw many qualities which she found endearing - his odd sense of humor, the way he would always make sure she had her pleasure first when they were in bed together, the way he’d sometimes present her with a book or a trinket in a completely off-hand manner, as if it was nothing, but she would catch the little smile on his face when he saw that he’d pleased her. She kept finding these odd things about him that made her like him even more each time they saw one another. Which was why it started to be difficult to keep her professional face on around him. Every time she peeled back one of his layers, she found herself revealing more about herself. A layer for a layer.

When he called out ‘Lacey’ amidst a deep groan of passion and she found herself hating it, she knew she was in over her head. She didn’t want him to be with ‘Lacey,’ she wanted him to know her real self, the part she kept away from everything.

She canceled their appointments the next day. She had her madam break the news. He didn’t have her personal number, didn’t know where she lived, he had no way to find her, to convince her not to do this. She knew all she had to do was look into those melting brown eyes of his and she’d cave. It was better this way, she told herself. An escort doesn’t let her personal feelings get involved.

But he was already so much more than just a client to her.

—

He destroyed about half of his shop the day he got the call. Lacey was going to be ‘unavailable’ for an indefinite amount of time. No, he didn’t want a different girl. Yes, let him know when Lacey became available again. And that was it. He hit the ‘end’ button and the mobile fell from his nerveless fingers. 

She’d finally become aware of the kind of monster she was going to bed with and she’d ended it. It had only been a matter of time.

But it had lasted so much longer than he’d hoped. He’d found himself cursing how slow the week went by until he could see her again. That one day where he could lose himself in her smiles, her dazzling blue eyes, in her soft embrace, was worth anything else he had to do in those other six days of the week. He’d found solace in her. A place where he didn’t have to do or be anything, didn’t have to feel anything but the pleasure she offered. He only slept well when she was in his arms, the perfume of her hair in his nose, or the steady rhythm of her heart beneath his ear.

Slowly, he became aware that he was holding his cane so tightly, the design in the gold handle was sure to be imprinted on his hand. He lifted it, tossing it slightly to catch it about the middle, and brought the hard metal handle down on the surface of the nearest glass case. The following crash and spray of glass pieces was satisfying, but not nearly enough to ease the ache in his chest. He destroyed case after case, smash, smash, crash, completely unaware of the tiny cuts on his hand and cheek where the glass had flown up.

He only stopped when his leg gave out without the aid of the cane and he wobbled, then fell down onto the floor of the shop. He sat there amidst the broken glass for a long time, he didn’t know exactly how long. He pressed a hand to his chest. The ache was still there.

—

It didn’t go away until the day the curse broke. He went onto Main Street, ready to threaten her father into telling him where she lived, because for all his plans, all his waiting and waiting, he had to see her first. Had to see her face and know that she lived, even though it was silly, he knew she was alive, but with his real memories flooding through him, he just had to see and make sure.

He had to tell her that he had been wrong.

He stopped in the middle of the street, stunned, as he caught sight of her. She was wearing a pair of those ridiculous heels she loved so much, and yet her face was flushed and she was breathing as though she’d been running. He didn’t want to hope that she’d been coming to find him, but then she was running toward him, her eyes amazingly bright for the tears brimming in them.

And then he was moving, as fast as he could, the pain in his leg forgotten, until she was in his arms again, fitting there like she’d been made for him.

He looked down at her beloved face, tracing her cheek with his thumb. “Belle,” he breathed.

Her smile grew. “Yes,” she cried, as though relieved, as though she’d needed to hear him say her name.

“And,” he said, hesitantly, “do you… remember?”

She reached up and cupped his face in her hands. “Yes. My Rumple, I remember everything. And… I love you.”

“Oh, Belle,” he said, blinking to hold back the tears that wanted to fall at her statement. “I love you, too. And you were right. I was too much of a coward to claim your love before.”

“I know,” she said. “I’m just as scared as you are.”

“No,” he said. “You’ve always been my brave Belle. And this time, I’m going to make things right. This time, I’m willing to be brave enough for your love.” 

Leaning down, still half amazed that she was truly there, truly accepting him, he pressed a fervent kiss to her lips, a kiss of gratitude and more happiness than he’d ever felt since he’d been parted from his son. When she returned the pressure, a smile curving her lips, his heart felt lighter and more whole than it had since he’d taken on the curse of the Dark One. Belle was his light and his life, he could admit that now, and he’d never make the mistake of pushing her away again.

He didn’t want to pull back, he could have happily remained kissing her there in the middle of the street for hours, but there were things he had to do before they could retire to a more private setting. Smiling, he reached down and took her hand.

“Come with me,” he said, his excitement and anticipation bubbling up, spilling over to her as she gave him an answering smile.

“Always,” she said.

Hand in hand, they headed off in the direction of the forest.


End file.
